Austin City Limits To
Feature Johnny Paycheck
Powerhouse Johnny Paycheck
sings “Take This Job and Shove
It” and “Me and the I.R.S.”
accompanied by the West Texas
Music Company in Austin City
Limits on the PBS network Satur
day, April 12 at 5 p.m. on Channel
42. Following his energized per
raraiaace, polar oppoaiteBBly Joe
Shaver delivers a set of easy,
rolling rhythms and poignant
lyrics in his captivating songs.
Paycheck-an almost too ap
propriate name-has emerged in
the second round of his rough and
tumble music career as balladeer
of the workingman. “Take This
Job...” has fueled many strikes
and walk-outs and gonerated some
prize anecdotes since its release.
Johnny calls the song “tension
reliever.” By the way, Johnny took
his name from a little-known prize
fighter whom be admired, long
before the song was written by
David Allan Coe.
One of the newest in C&W’s
“outlaw” family, Paycheck has
the unfortunate background and
experience to have earned the title.
He’s bounced back from extreme
bard times, including a couple of
stints in jail, to establish himself as
a gentle balladeer as well as a
hard-drivin’ honky-tonker.
His well-paced set includes a
variety of country moods ranging
from the high-stepping’ “I’m the
Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised"
to the pure twangy honky-tonk pair
“Ragged But Right-You’re Still On
My Mind,” sizzlin’ country rocker
“Trials and Tribulations” and
country-fied funky “Friend, Lover,
Wife.”
At the outset of his musical
career, Billy Joe Shaver had to pay
a friend to play his songs because
he didn’t know how to play the
guitar. Since that time he has both
mastered the guitar and become a
respected songwriter, recorded by
the likes of Kris Kristofferson,
Waylon Jennings, Tom T. Hall,
Jerry Jeff Walker, the Allman
Brothers, Johnny Cash, Willie Nel
son and Elvis Presley.
Originally from Corsicana,
Texas, Billy Joe left the state in
1965 with the intention of heading
west. When he didn’t get a ride
standing on that side of the road,
he crossed over and headed east
instead. When billy Joe hit Nash
ville in a cantaloupe truck over ten
years ago, he could hardly have
guessed that one of his songs would
be the first song Kris Kristofferson
would record by another writer.
Billy Joe established himself as
a gutsy singer as well as a
consistent songwriter and has re
leased three well-crafted albums
which clarify the respect he has
garnered among fellow musicians.
His clean-faced, barnyard charm
on stage is reminiscent of a bashful
cowbby transplanted from an old
Tom Mix movie. His presence is
fully as engaging as his music is
fine.
Billy Joe mixes a touch of
rock-a-billy with pure honky-tonk
into just plain good songs like
“Black Rose,” ‘‘Willie the Wander
ing Gypsy and Me,” and ‘‘Honky
Tonk Heroes.” His son, Eddie, is
featured on lead guitar turning
some amazing licks on “Ride Me
Down Easy” and “Sweet Mama."
Austin City Limits is a product
ion of the Southwest Texas Public
Broadcasting Council and is distri
buted nationally by the Public
Broadcasting Service.
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Willie Reid ,
\: 8
t i Willie Reid is a claims agent. He’s a 4
* : problem solver, with the tremendous respon- i
c : sibility of making sure that anyone who’s ’
‘ : been injured receives fair treatment.
+ In his seven years with the Southern,
H Willie’s specialized in people services. Before
•H becoming a claims agent, he was a district
f manager of passenger sales.
What does he think of Southern? “I’ve
really had a chance to grow with it over the
years.”
As part of Southern Folks, Willie’s
future is bright because Southern’s future is
bright. Railroading is one of America’s real
growth industries. Because the railroad is
the country’s most fuel-efficient means of
transportation.
That’s why we expect a 143 percent
increase in railroad traffic by 1990.
We think this means a profitable future
for Southern Railway and Southern Folks.